2021 Kia Cerato price and specs: GT arrives from $36,990 drive-away

Pricing for the facelifted 2021 Kia Cerato hatchback and sedan has been confirmed as the updated models roll into showrooms.

S, Sport and Sport+ models are in dealers now, with the GT arriving this month.

Kia has made no mention of a manual Cerato, which suggests this has been scrapped.

Update, 3/6/2021 10:15am:Pricing and details of the updated Kia Cerato GT have been confirmed on Kia Australia’s website. Our coverage has been updated accordingly.

That means the range now opens at $25,490 before on-road costs for the S sedan and hatch, or $25,990 drive-away.

Kia has recently made running pricing changes to the Cerato, with the updated variants up a further $500 on the most recent pricing for the pre-facelift model.

Powertrains are carried over from the pre-update model, and comprise a naturally-aspirated 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine for S, Sport and Sport+ models and a turbocharged 1.6-litre four for the GT.

While there have been no changes to outputs or transmissions, there are some new features.

The base S picks up wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, while all other models feature wired smartphone mirroring but a larger 10.25-inch touchscreen.

Lane-following assist, rear occupant alert and rear air vents are standard across the range. Sadly, there’s no digital instrument cluster available on Australian-spec Cerato models.

All models get revised headlights, new LED daytime running lights, plus a revised grille and front bumper.

Sedan models also get updated tail lights as well as changes to the boot and rear bumper.

Pricing

• 2021 Kia Cerato S: $25,990
• 2021 Kia Cerato S with Safety Pack: $27,490
• 2021 Kia Cerato Sport: $27,990
• 2021 Kia Cerato Sport with Safety Pack: $29,490
• 2021 Kia Cerato Sport+: $31,690
• 2021 Kia Cerato GT: $36,990

All prices are drive-away

Engines

The 2021 Kia Cerato range comes with a choice of two engines, both carried over from the outgoing model.

Most models use a naturally-aspirated 2.0-litre four-cylinder with 112kW of power and 192Nm of torque, with a six-speed auto fitted as standard.

The range-topping GT replaces the 2.0-litre with a turbocharged 1.6-litre four-cylinder producing 150kW of power and 265Nm of torque, mated exclusively to a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission.

Fuel Economy

The 2021 Kia Cerato consumes 7.4L/100km on the ADR combined city and highway cycle.

Though it’s more powerful than the others, the GT uses less fuel with a combined 6.8L/100km.

All Cerato models run on 91RON regular unleaded fuel and have a 50L fuel tank.

Dimensions

Kia hasn’t confirmed dimensions for the updated Cerato, though we don’t expect these to change much if at all.

The pre-facelift Kia Cerato sedan measures 4640mm long, 1440mm tall and 1800mm wide, while the hatchback is 4510mm long, 1445mm tall and 1800mm wide. GT models are 5mm lower.

Total luggage space is 502L for the sedan and 428L for the hatchback. Underneath the boot floor is a space-saver spare.

Servicing and Warranty

All 2021 Kia Cerato models require servicing every 12 months or 15,000km, whichever comes first, except for the Cerato GT which requires servicing every 12 months or 10,000km.

Kia offers seven years of capped-price servicing. The pre-facelift GT has an average service cost of $470, while all other Ceratos have an average cost of $419.

The Cerato is covered by Kia’s seven-year, unlimited kilometre warranty.

Safety

When the Kia Cerato was tested by ANCAP in 2019, it received a split rating.

Kia Cerato S and Sport models without the Safety Pack received a rating of four stars, while all other Cerato models received a rating of five stars from ANCAP.

All models received an adult occupant protection score of 90 per cent, child occupant protection score of 83 per cent, vulnerable road user protection score of 55 per cent and a safety assist score of 71 per cent.

All 2021 Kia Cerato models come standard with the following safety equipment:

• Front, front side, and curtain airbags
• Lane-keeping assist
• Lane-following assist
• Autonomous emergency braking with pedestrian detection
• Rear occupant alert

When equipped with the Safety Pack, or in Sport Plus and GT trim, the list of safety equipment is expanded to include:

• Autonomous emergency braking with pedestrian and cyclist detection
• Blind-spot monitoring
• Rear cross-traffic alert
• Adaptive cruise control

The Sport+ and GT also feature blind-spot assist.

Standard Equipment

The base Cerato S comes with the following standard features:

• 8.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system
• Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
• 4.2-inch instrument cluster display screen
• Cruise control
• Air conditioning
• Six-speaker sound system
• Reversing camera
• Front and rear parking sensors
• 16-inch steel wheels

The Cerato Sport adds:

• 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment system
• Wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
• Satellite navigation
• DAB digital radio
• Illuminated vanity mirrors
• Leather-wrapped steering wheel and shifter

Both the Cerato S and Cerato Sport are available with the Safety Pack($1500), which adds:

• Adaptive cruise control
• 15-inch rear disc brakes
• Electronic parking brake
• Power-folding exterior mirrors
• AEB with pedestrian and cyclist detection
• Blind-spot monitoring
• Rear cross-traffic alert
• Leather-wrapped steering wheel and shifter (already standard on Sport)

The Cerato Sport+ adds the features of the Safety Pack plus:

• Blind-spot assist
• Leather-appointed seats
• Keyless entry and start
• Heated front seats
• Dual-zone climate control with auto defog function

The flagship Cerato GT (pictured in red) adds the following:

• 1.6-litre turbo engine (150kW/265Nm)
• LED headlights and tail lights
• Leather-appointed ‘sports tubular’ trim
• Wireless phone charging
• JBL premium audio system
• Paddle shifters
• Tilt/slide moonroof
• Ventilated front seats

Stay tuned to CarExpert for our Australian launch review of the new 2022 Kia Cerato range coming soon.

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